The Best iPhone 5 Battery Case

We had a former NASA/JPL engineer run tests on the most highly rated iPhone battery cases available and found that the Lenmar Meridian is (still) the best of the bunch. It only costs $55 and was the easiest to use and quickest to charge out of the four battery packs we tested. Plus, its 2,300 mAh capacity was one of the highest we could find for the price. It’s not perfect, but if you need a battery case for traveling or long days at work, it’s the best option we’ve found.

Last Updated: January 8, 2015

A number of companies are using CES 2015 as the launchpad for their Apple-certified iPhone 6 battery cases. Incipio is the first to actually ship one, with its 3000mAh offGRID Express ($80) available now. Other models, including two dual-layer rubber-and-plastic designs and a rugged option, will be available in the first quarter of this year. iBattz announced the Refuel InVIctus (for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus; $130) and Refuel InVIctus Alpha (for iPhone 6; $130). The standard InVIctus will include 3200mAh (for iPhone 6) or 6000mAh (for iPhone 6 Plus) of extra battery power, the latter via interchangeable 3000mAh packs. The InVIctus Alpha is an IPX8-certified waterproof case with a 3200mAh battery. No ship date has been announced. Mophie has has new additions to the company’s Juice Pack line: The $100 Juice Pack Air for iPhone 6 includes a 2750mAh battery; the $120 Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 6 features a 3300mAh battery; and the $100 Juice Pack for iPhone 6 Plus houses a 2600mAh battery. Mophie says the new battery case will ship in three to four weeks. Unu’s $80 DX-6 Protective Battery Case for the iPhone 6, available now, includes a 3000mAh and weighs just 3.5 ounces, according to the company. Finally, though not strictly a case, Just Mobile announced the $60 BakPak, a 3000mAh battery pack with a built-in Lightning-connector cable that straps, using built-in bands, onto the back of your iPhone. The idea is that you can keep your phone slim (or in your favorite case); you attach the battery only when you need some juice. We'll get to work on a new battery case guide for iPhone 6/6 Plus very soon.

January 5, 2015:
A number of companies are using CES 2015 as the launchpad for their Apple-certified iPhone 6 battery cases. Incipio is the first to actually ship one, with its 3000mAh offGRID Express ($80) available now. Variants, including two dual-layer rubber and plastic designs and a rugged option, will be available in the first quarter of this year. We’ll be scouting the show floor for the best battery cases with testing to come soon.

September 26, 2014:
We've continued to test the Lenmar to see how the battery has held up over time, and we're very happy with its long-term reliability: While it was able to charge up to 99 percent of its advertised capacity when it was new, the case is still able to charge up to 95 percent, over a year later.

July 16, 2014:
We really like the PhoneSuit Elite battery case's design and durability -- more than our main pick, in fact. But it's $20 more than the Lenmar and you get a battery with 200 less mAh. See the Almost Great section below for more.

June 5, 2014:
Added a dismissal of the $60 Jackery Leaf to the competition section.

May 7, 2014:
Added the uNu Aero case to the competition section. It offers 2,000 mAh charging capacity, but is nearly identical to another case we can't recommend because of construction quality concerns, the Offgrid Pro.

March 19, 2014:
We did a lot of research and testing (we even had an electrical engineer analyze the battery capacities and construction methods), and the Lenmar Meridian still came out on top.

February 10, 2014:
We did a lot of research and testing (we even had an electrical engineer analyze the battery capacities and construction methods), and the Lenmar still came out on top. We'll be refreshing this soon with a full update, but for now, you can rest assured that this is the best one, regardless of any possible durability issues that may arise down the road. It still has fewer flaws than the competition.

January 7, 2014:
Added Mophie's new Space Pack, which combines a 1,700mAh battery with either 16GB or 32GB of storage space for your iPhone for either $150 or $180. We'll try it out when it becomes available in March.

December 9, 2013:
We added some test notes from our extended use of the Lenmar: unfortunately, it didn't hold up well. But we're in the midst of finding the best case built for the iPhone 5S, so stand by for a new pick.

November 21, 2013:
Set to wait status while we compile reviews for best iPhone 5S case.

October 15, 2013:
We put the iPhone 5S in the Lenmar Meridian and used it as usual for many hours, and the fit does nothing to obstruct the new iPhone's flash. It's as functional on the 5S as it is on the 5. In the meantime, we'll be researching the best made-for-iPhone-5S battery cases. But if you need one now, this is still a solid pick because none of them stand out on paper.

July 25, 2013:
Added a dismissal of the Belkin Grip Power to our competition section.

We spent more than 15 hours researching and testing the best iPhone battery cases on the market and generally found the field rife with flaws: poor case design, slow charging, low capacities. Against stiff competition, the Meridian wouldn’t be a winner, but against this sorry bunch (which, we should note, consists of the best-reviewed cases currently available), it’s the best. It’s one of the cheapest picks out there and manages to pack a decent 2,300 mAh—that’s about one full recharge of your iPhone—into a sleek, lightweight case that doesn’t interfere with the iPhone’s control scheme.

How we picked

Left to right: Meridian, uNu, Odoyo, Incipio.

There are a ton of iPhone battery cases out there, but not many that actually provide the power they say they do. We first narrowed our search down to Apple-approved models; as iLounge (and Sweethome) reviewer Nick Guy told Alexander George, who wrote the earlier version of this article, “I’m 99.9% certain none of [the no-name models] are licensed. I think in general it’s better to stick with something that won’t potentially stop working.”

Yes, all battery cases will add a little weight to your phone—our goal is to add as little as possible.

You’ll also want cases that will give your phone about one full extra charge—the iPhone 5 and 5S have about 1,440 and 1,570 mAh batteries, respectively, so that was our bottom line. However, iLounge has repeatedly found that due to inefficiencies inherent in charging one battery with another, you really need at least 2,000 mAh for a full recharge. We also eliminated cases that were bulky or heavy. Any added weight or size means your phone itself will be bulkier and heavier, making it harder to carry in pockets or small purses. Yes, all battery cases will add a little weight to your phone—our goal is to add as little as possible.

After that, we looked at reviews on sites like iLounge and PC Mag, in addition to user reviews on Amazon, to determine which cases had better design and higher efficiency. That narrowed it down to four contenders: the Lenmar Meridian, uNu DX, Incipio OffGrid Pro, and the Odoyo Power+Shell.

How we tested

We then had electrical engineering consultant and former NASA/JPL scientist Sam Gordon evaluate each case, looking at their charging current as they went from zero to 100 percent battery overnight. That told us whether the battery capacity they claim is actually the battery capacity they provide. He also evaluated each case for possible points of failure in eight different areas: iPhone mate/demate, case mate/demate, power button, micro USB port, battery access, iPhone button access, headphones access, and screen protection. Any case that failed his inspection was eliminated.

I then used all four cases extensively in real-world testing. I took them on skiing trips to test how they handled cold weather, carried them around with me to see how they held up in day-to-day situations, and used them to revive my phone after a long day of work before a night out. I also tested for charging speed, using each to charge my iPhone 5 from 40 to 60 percent.

In a field of imperfect candidates, the Lenmar Meridian stood above the rest. Not because it’s flawless—far from it, in fact. But it had the best battery capacity (virtually tied with the near-identical uNu DX, which we measured to be 2 mAh higher), with the lowest price per mAh and the fastest charging time of all the batteries we tested. Plus, it’s lightweight and small, feels comfortable in the hand, and proved itself the most capable charger after several weeks of real-world use.

The Meridian advertises 2,300 mAh of capacity, and in tests run by our resident engineer, Sam Gordon, it came very close, clocking in at 2,276 mAh—99 percent of the advertised capacity. None of the batteries, in testing, provided their actual capacity, but most of the competitors actually had closer to 95 percent of their stated capacity. Not a huge difference, and a result that can certainly vary with use, but it’s nice to know that you’re getting as close to the maximum as possible. That also means you’re getting more charge out of the battery.

It also provides the best cost-to-battery ratio. At $55—the price it can generally be found at on Amazon—you’ll get 41 mAh per dollar. The uNu is a close runner-up, with 37, but that number drops quickly for others; the iBattz Mojo Refuel only gives you 29 mAh per dollar, the Mojo Refuel Armor an almost-embarrassing 19 mAh, and the Incipio a respectable but not competitive 31 mAh per dollar. We’re very impressed that the Meridian—the cheapest case we tested—managed to provide such a high battery capacity.

It also charges your phone extremely quickly, taking only 14 minutes to charge an iPhone 5 from 40 to 60 percent battery life.

It also charges your phone extremely quickly, taking only 14 minutes to charge an iPhone 5 from 40 to 60 percent battery life. That’s two and a half minutes shorter than the uNu and Odoyo, which both took approximately 16 minutes and 30 seconds for the same charge. But as long as the case is charging your phone and can charge to its full capacity (and, ideally, more), speed is only tertiarily important.

The Meridian is also small and lightweight, with dimensions of 5.4 by 2.5 by 0.6 inches (height by width by depth) and weight of 2.96 ounces. For comparison, the iPhone 5 is 4.87 by 2.31 by 0.3 inches, which means the Meridian case adds a little less than half an inch to the phone’s height and 0.3 inches to its thickness. That’s a big change, but not that much compared to the heftier, less powerful Mophie Juice Pack Plus, which measures 5.6 by 2.63 by 0.7 inches, making it at least 0.1 inch thicker in every direction. What’s more, at 3.14 ounces, it’s more than nine percent heavier than the Meridian. The Incipio and Odoyo cases we tested were a hair shorter, but not enough to be noticeable. They all weighed about the same. They also pack less mAh into their cases, so you’re getting more juice for your space with the Meridian.

In addition to its impressive performance and compact size, we also appreciate the Lenmar Meridian’s snug fit and ergonomics. Unlike other cases, its battery is in one piece on the lower part of the case. The top is a lightweight piece of plastic that snaps into place, which makes assembling and removing the whole rig very easy.

Besides the bulk conservation, we like how the Meridian is designed so that all the heft is near the base of the phone near the Lightning port. While the Mophie’s thickness is spread throughout the phone’s length, the Meridian feels nicely balanced, especially while navigating menus or holding it up to your ear for a call. Controls are straightforward: To turn the charging on or off, you hold down a single button on the back. A single LED above tells you how much charge you have left. The exterior is made of rubber-coated hard plastic that’s grippy but slick enough to not stick to your pockets.

After more than a month of real-world use, we found the Meridian noticeably superior in day-to-day usage. I brought it with me to airports (and subsequent delays), skiing, on road trips where my iPhone and I were the sole navigators, and to nights out after a full day of uncharged work.

In all these situations, it performed well, providing enough battery for more than a day’s worth of activity—even when using task-intensive games and apps. It brought my phone back from the dead after low temperatures caused it to die on the top of a ski mountain; it saved me when I forgot to charge my phone overnight and needed to do an interview the next morning. Nothing glamorous, sure, but it did everything we asked a battery case to do with little fuss and very few problems.

Who else likes it?

There are very few reviews of iPhone 5 battery cases, but iLounge has the largest assessment and it’s one of our trusted sources for iPhone gear. They gave the Meridian a B+, which makes it one of the two highest-rated iPhone 5 battery cases. And the price has only gone down since the time of review, which would only serve to boost their evaluation of it.

Chance Miller at 9to5Mac agreed, saying, “The Meridian gives the best bang for your buck of any battery case and is the best option on the market for nearly everyone. No other case on the market can take an iPhone 5 to 100 percent battery and keep such a slim and easy use profile.”

Perhaps most importantly (given the typically high rate of failure of these things), Amazon reviewers really like it, rating it an average of 4.2 stars with 201 reviews. From this, we can infer that there’s most likely a lower rate of failure. Only 12 percent of the total reviews were negative. Compare that to the $100 Mophie Juice Pack Air, which has a dismal 2.7-star rating averaged over 1300+ reviews—half of which give it either one or two stars.

Flaws but not dealbreakers (yet)

Despite its many good qualities, the Meridian certainly isn’t perfect. In our initial review, which put the Meridian head-to-head against the Mophie Juice Pack Air and Plus, Alex George laid out the two areas in which it faltered: drop protection and button access.

…the recessions on the Meridian that give you access to the volume, vibrate, and the sleep/wake buttons are deep, so it takes a bit of reaching to operate…

The Meridian has no button covers. Unfortunately, the recessions on the Meridian that give you access to the volume, vibrate, and the sleep/wake buttons are deep, so it takes a bit of reaching to operate, which iLounge found in their review as well. Neither Alexander nor I had any difficulty accessing the buttons, though. It’s only a minor inconvenience that’s worth all the battery that you get with the Meridian, but it’s a feature we’ve come to expect from basic protective cases and would make the Meridian truly excellent.

Due to its small size and thinner material, it’s not quite as impact-proof as thicker cases. Because Mophie’s battery cases are secured by two almost-equally meaty sections of battery (the Meridian has a bottom battery section with a plastic top), they’re more durable. Both are made of the same rubber-coated hard plastic.

However, nothing else currently available offers significantly more button or drop protection—so it gets a pass for now.

There are a few other small concerns, which extend to battery cases as a whole and make us hesitant to provide a recommendation for the category at large. First, we’ve found diminished call reception with all of the ones we’ve tested. It’s usually not enough to cause a huge problem, but in areas where your reception is already limited (like my office), it can cause calls to drop more frequently.

Second, if you rely on headphones with an L-shaped jack, you’ll have to use the provided extender to plug them in. Once again, this is pretty common for battery cases. In order to make the case long enough to reach the Lightning connector at the bottom, they will always add just a bit of extra length and that will get in the way of the headphone jack. I’ve found always keeping the extender attached to my headphone has made this a non-issue. Your mileage may vary.

But we are concerned about the fragile top part, which feels almost flimsy compared to the sturdier plastic used on some of the other cases like the Odoyo. In drop tests, the Meridian’s plastic top piece never actually broke and always slipped back on to the phone easily, but our editor, Brian Lam, found that his cracked in multiple places after only 15 uses. Definitely not good. But in searching reviews and speaking with Lenmar, we’ve come to believe this is a rare but unfortunate issue—and if it should happen to you, we urge you to contact Lenmar for a replacement.

But the first priority of a good battery case is power. It’s doing its job as long as it meets the basic requirement of not breaking from minor impacts; anything beyond that is a bonus feature.

Besides, all of the cases we looked at had fatal weak spots that could easily break if dropped: The Odoyo is made of a hard plastic prone to shattering, and the Incipio’s thin outer shell connects to the back battery along the entire edge of the iPhone with connectors we found thin and unimpressive. In short, if you’re looking for protection, none of the battery cases out there are going to provide it. For a battery case that’s portable and ergonomic, and that has enough juice to give you the confidence to use your phone with impunity throughout the day, we’d get the Lenmar Meridian.

…until Apple either allows third-party manufacturers to use Lightning ports in their own devices or produces its own charging case, micro USB is your best bet.

Finally, while it would be lovely if this charged using a Lightning port, we haven’t found any cases that do, as Lightning is proprietary technology owned by Apple. That means, until Apple either allows third-party manufacturers to use Lightning ports in their own devices or produces its own charging case, micro USB is your best bet. Thankfully, most small electronics use this (Apple’s really the outlier in this regard) so you should have a cable at hand. Plus, all of the cases we looked at provided their own micro USB charger.

Long-term test notes

One of our staffers has been using the Lenmar case on their iPhone 5 for a year and five months, and it’s displayed great longevity. When the Lenmar was new, an ammeter showed it was able to charge a phone to 99 percent capacity. After daily use, a re-test with the ammeter shows it’s still putting out a 95 percent charge today.

If it’s sold out

If the Meridian is unavailable or this drops in price, this is a fine alternative if you don’t mind a slightly slower charging speed.

The uNu DX is almost identical—in fact, it is identical, down to the weight in grams and excluding the logo and button layout on the back. They both measured the same mAh, although the Meridian did charge my phone a wee bit faster. And they both have one-year warranties. So why the Meridian over the uNu? Quite frankly, it comes down to price: We consistently find the Meridian for $5-$10 cheaper than the uNu. But if that changes, and you don’t mind the slightly slower charging speed of the uNu, you’ll do just fine picking the DX up instead.

Almost great

The PhoneSuit is more durable and we prefer its design over the Lenmar, but it costs a little more and it has a slightly less powerful battery.

The PhoneSuit Elite battery case may be $20 more than the Lenmar, with 200 less mAh, but we found it to be more durable and much better designed. Performance-wise, it doesn’t differ much: It charged my iPhone quickly and without issues.

A small detail we particularly love is its clever design, which makes it more durable and versatile than the Lenmar. While it clips together in much the same way, with the bulk of the charger contained in a large bottom piece and a thinner one on top that connects and secures the iPhone. However, whereas the Lenmar’s top piece is flimsy and, in our staff’s experience, prone to breakage, the PhoneSuit’s is sturdy and thick. Even when I tried to break it by squeezing forcefully, I couldn’t.

Additionally, the way the case is designed won’t force you to use a headphone extender if your favorite pair happens to use an L-shaped jack. With every other case we’ve tested, the hole surrounding the headphone jack is small and circular, requiring an (often crappy) extender to use headphones with any other jack shape besides straight. That’s not necessary with the PhoneSuit, and it’s a welcome relief.

It’s not perfect: The case can become warm, bordering on hot, when charging, but not nearly enough so to burn. It’s merely an annoyance. And sometimes I’ll leave it charging my iPhone and come back to find it’s stopped charging once the iPhone battery filled up. This may help preserve battery life, but personally, I prefer letting my phone run down the battery case’s charge before using its own battery. With the Lenmar, that’s easy — with the PhoneSuit, not so much.

Ultimately, the price and lower mAh make the PhoneSuit unsuitable for our top pick. Frankly, the Lenmar is cheaper and has more power. But if you’re particularly concerned with durability or hate using headphone extenders, the PhoneSuit is a great alternative.

The Incipio Offgrid Pro is a good idea with sub-par execution. Nick Guy at iLounge gave it an A, but we can’t agree with his assessment. Coming with two swappable 2,000 mAh backup batteries (for a combined 4,000 mAh) that can be charged separately is good; making the battery cover almost impossible to take off is not good. We worry that the little prongs that hold the two sections in place would break off too easily, or that over time and extended use it may not hold together as well. As one Amazon reviewer put it, “I feel like I am going to break the case every time I attempt it. The phone case already is covered in scars and nicks from the objects I try to use to pry the case apart!”

Similarly, being designed for the iPhone 5/5S is good. Not getting iPhone 5S certification is not good (a fact noted by Guy at iLounge as well). But we found that even its support of the 5 is a bit dodgy. Despite my having an iPhone 5, not 5S, I still got the occasional “This charging accessory is not supported” message on my phone, which makes no sense and inspires little confidence in its abilities.

It also comes with clear film taped over the battery contacts, which took me (and at least one Amazon reviewer) a while to figure out. While the light indicator on the phone and charger pack turn on out of the box—indicating, to normal eyes, that the battery is charging—you actually have to first remove a tiny, near-invisible clear strip of tape from the battery’s connectors. Not the worst thing in the world, but an added annoyance that seems to almost taunt the user.

When our engineer tested, he found the real output at 1,938 mAh, or 97 percent of advertised, which was just a bit behind the Meridian and uNu. It was also the slowest charger we tested, taking 17 minutes to charge from 40 to 60 percent.

For what it’s worth, the separate charger can also be used as a generic USB charger for your iPad, Kindle, Android phone—anything that charges via USB. If you frequently need to charge two devices and don’t mind carrying around a second (small) pack, it might be a solid pick.

The $64 price tag coupled with the lack of reviews—at Amazon, it has only seven reviews and a 3.3-star rating—means that we just can’t recommend spending the extra money right now, unless you really need two charging sources (and if that’s the case, we’d first point you to our pick for best USB battery pack).

Why not Mophie?

Mophie is the top seed of this product category, but there’s no good reason to get a Mophie Juice Pack over the Lenmar Meridian. While their Juice Pack series of iPhone 5 battery cases is pretty impressive, none of them can match the Meridian’s price and performance. Even their flagship model, the just-released Juice Pack Plus, only has a 2,100 mAh battery—that’s still 200 fewer than in the Meridian. Besides not being able to charge as well, the Plus costs $120, or $65 more than the Meridian. The Plus gets points for having integrated buttons that make it easy to operate the phone with the case on, but the price hike and second-place performance make it a much worse value than the Meridian.

Mophie also has two other cases: the Helium and the Air, which have 1,500 mAh and 1,700 mAh batteries respectively. The Air costs $100 and the Helium is $70, but because they can’t come close to fully recharging an iPhone, we wouldn’t recommend either to anyone who needs really extended battery life.

For $95 more than the Meridian, you’re paying for a worse case and some extra space. That’s just not worth it.

Their newest addition, the Mophie Space Pack, packs the same 1,700 mAh battery as the Air and 16 or 32 GB of extra space. Reviews, like this one at TechCrunch, say it’s basically a souped-up Air. We already don’t recommend the Air, and without some seriously glowing reviews, the Space Pack is no different: For $95 more than the Meridian, you’re paying for a worse case and some extra space. That’s just not worth it.

We tested the Odoyo Power+Shell, but ultimately can’t recommend it. We like that it provides 2,200 mAh of power, but it wasn’t as fast as the Meridian, clocking in at about 16 minutes, 30 seconds to bring a phone from 40 to 60 percent. It comes in three colors—two shades of white and a matte black. We were provided the white case to test, and the plastic was hard and felt brittle, making it much more apt to break. While we’d imagine the matte black would be a bit sturdier, we just weren’t impressed with the case’s durability—especially since the kickstand was completely ineffective.

Technically, the Odoyo beat out all the others in terms of sheer power, clocking in at a gigantic 2,348 mAh—six percent more than its stated 2,200 mAh. Curious. Ultimately, we decided those results were a fluke. As our engineer explained: “I think the reason it comes in at over its advertised capacity boils down to the power indicator LED. The Odoyo uses many very bright LEDs to indicate power level. If this LED was drawing 20 mA over the eight-hour test period, that 160 mAh could explain why the test came in over the advertised capacity.” With this in mind, we don’t think it’s fair to compare that directly to the other competitors. Even if we did, its other flaws outweigh the extra battery life. Considering it’s hard to find on Amazon and can only be reliably bought from Odoyo’s website and costs $45 more than the Meridian, it’s just not good enough.

There’s also the XPAL PowerSkin. We spent some time with it and were not totally impressed. While the Mophies and Meridian use a solid two-part separating design, the PowerSkin has a unibody rubber-like design with a small Lightning plug on the bottom while the upper part of the case slides over the top of the phone. Unfortunately the silicone material slides all over the phone and makes the sleep/wake button difficult to reach. All this might be acceptable if it offered better performance, but its 1,500 mAh battery is bested by the competition and it loses to both in the build quality arena. For now, we’re ready to rule out the PowerSkin.

Belkin has a battery case called the Grip Power. iLounge recommended it over all of the Juice Packs, and ranked it equal to our pick (B+), but we still prefer the Meridian. The Belkin’s battery is 300 mAh smaller than the Meridian, and it has more bulk than the Meridian and even the bigger Mophie Juice Pack Plus. In short, it’s huge for the amount of power it’s packing. For those reasons, we can’t recommend it.

Besides Mophie’s lineup, the $85 iKit NuCharge is the biggest competitor to the Meridian. What the NuCharge lacks in raw power it makes up for in versatility and ergonomics, but we’re not convinced either strength makes it better than the Meridian. Instead of being an integrated unit, it’s a two-part system that requires you to snap the battery onto the back and plug it in with a separate Lightning connector. We think that if you’re going to use a cable anyway, you might as well use a more versatile external battery pack.

The uNu Aero offers 2,000 mAh and a nearly identical case to the Offgrid Pro. To justify its $100 price tag, it also offers wireless charging using a custom charging pad. Our complaints about the Offgrid’s case construction still stand—the small prongs that keep the case attached seem apt to break off at a moment’s notice, not to mention the case itself is extremely difficult to take off. But even with a better case, we just can’t justify spending $40 more for wireless charging, especially considering the pad doesn’t have true induction charging (it uses two metal contacts on the back to attach to the pad for charging). With that in mind, we’ll pass.

We initially liked the Jackery Leaf, particularly its unique, two-part design, which combines a standard iPhone case with an attachable battery case, meaning you can use the battery when needed, and take it off when you’d rather save space. But it falls short: Numerous times, a message popped up warning us the case wasn’t supported (despite it claiming to be Apple certified), and several times, I woke up in the morning with a dead phone, meaning the case, when plugged in, charged the battery case itself but not the phone. This is completely different than every other case on the market, which all charge your phone first, then the case — plus, it differs even from Jackery’s own literature. Ultimately, its erratic charging behavior means we just can’t recommend.

Anker’s battery case has a similar design to the Incipio Offgrid Pro, but with a steeply reduced price tag, costing only $40. But the Lenmar Meridian is going for less than $60, and doesn’t randomly stop charging your phone. We think this issue is caused by a too-easily-pressed power button — I managed to turn off my model just by gently pressing on my iPhone’s screen while it lay on a flat surface. Either way, it’s a huge deal breaker.

In conclusion

We’re not huge fans of the whole field of iPhone battery cases: Either they’re lacking in power, too expensive, or not durable enough to survive basic use. But after weeks of hands-on use of our top four candidates, we found the best of the bunch to be the Lenmar Meridian, which provides 2,300 mAh of power for only $55. It’s fast to charge, easy to use, and provides a great combination of power, price, and design. We hope something better comes along, but for now, you shouldn’t be disappointed with the Meridian.

Hi Rene. This is an archived guide thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-iphone-battery-case-phonesuit-elite/ but it states that the Mophie Juice Pack Pro was overall better than the PhoneSuit battery case. You can find it here:

I have the Lenmar battery case for the iPhone 4S, and while it is great for helping my phone last all day, often I get the high pitch squeak/ squeal of electronic resistance when it is charging the phone.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

You might want to contact them about a replacement. Have you happened across anyone else with this issue by chance?

Evan Judge

I haven’t heard it from many others, but haven’t checked all the reviews. It’s faint but an annoyance if it’s dead silent.

The Doctor

I have the same issue.

Heath

I’ve been researching this for awhile now as I am taking an extended hiking trip and want to use my iPhone 5 as a camera only since there is no cellphone reception so I don’t have to take another item with me and I found this case at Amazon that has good reviews and appears to be of similar quality. Did you see this as well?http://amzn.to/11in8s5

Alexander George

Hey, Heath–

Yes, we saw the models from Maxboost, but none of them are Apple certified. That means that an iOS update can make it never work again.

julyartist1

My maxboost stopped working. Ive had it for a couple months. Now that I am reading this information I see that it must of been because it is not autorized by Apple. I didnt know that so now I have to buy another one. I really liked the maxboost because of the cool design but it didnt fit my iPhone 5 perfectly but good enough if it would of kept working. Guess I’ll just have to get a boring looking case that apple approved I wish there was some cool looking battery cases out there for iphone 5!!

John

I’ve never used one of these before. What’s the best way to use? Let the phone drain all the way down and then attach/activate case to fill up again? Or is it better to let the case trickle charge the phone all day as-if both batteries are one big one?

Michael Zhao

It’s designed to be on at all times. Although data does not pass through the micro USB connection. Really it works either way though so if you’d rather not have a case unless you have to, you can do it the way you’ve described

Jason

This is not true. Mophie recommends in their documentation that you only turn on the case battery when your phone needs charging to get the most battery life out of the case.

JohnnyBeGood

Start charging the phone when its internal battery is down to around 20%. You do not want to wait for it to get to low to begin charging from the external battery as it would take more power to charge. Stop the charging when you see the iPhone’s battery level at 80-85%. Repeat as needed. The Lenmar Meridian should last, hopefully, through 2 of those charge cycles from a full charge.

Richard Ryan

“I think in general it’s better to stick with something that won’t potentially stop working.”

More important, I think it’s better to stick with something that won’t potentially fry my iPhone

Anonymous

So question about these ‘sort’ of things. I’ve been considering the HTC One. I am really worried about the battery longevity. I am on an original HTC Evo (yes on year #3 I like to get my value out of these sort of things) and I am on my 3rd battery. So I am worried about how long the battery would last if built in and then if I had to buy one of these things.,… is it a real inconvenience? How bad is it?

mike280z

got mine for 50$ on group on, cant beat it!

Anonymous

Any idea if we’ll ever see a battery case with a lightning port for charging? It’s a little annoying to have to have both kinds of cables.

Aurora

Yes please! We’ve had two cases go “bad” due to the flimsy little waffer in the micro USB become loose and then not charging. The lighning connector is significantly stouter.

@2043eec0e78c70c75d6621547b37b895:disqus, Nick Guy also gave an A- rating to the rugged and waterproof ‘Aqua’ version of the iBattz Mojo Refuel when he reviewed it a week before @43ab14b4c3fca34515ce7974aeefdacc:disqus updated this article:

How much does Mophie Juice Pack Plus give % to iphone 5s in comparison to the Boostcase I haven’t seen mentioned that supposedly gives 150% charge with 2200amh but I tested it now and only got 85%.

JohnnyBeGood

Just got my Lenmar Meridian case for iPhone 5. Seems to be working well. Started charging my phone when it was at 19% and charged it up to 95% and the Meridian still has plenty of juice left (bllue indicator status light). It’s recommended that you start charging your phone when it’s shortly below 20% as the lower it drops, the more power it takes just to charge the phone’s battery.

Got it for $40 on Groupon. Def. a steal.

Zola

http://www.power-skin.com
I like this brand, they often have new stuff and lots of promotions, great stuff too. i find them cost efficient and reliable.

Michael Welsh

I can’t get my iPhone 5 to slide out of the Lenmar Meridian case so that I can sync my phone with iTunes. I know that you just press the sides of the top part of the case to remove that, but there seems to be no “release” mechanism or pressure point on the main case to allow for easy removal. Does anyone have any advice on how to do that? Thanks.

davidecrocker

I sat next to a guy on a flight a while back (the CEO of Lenmar). Nice guy…..would’ve given me a case but he had none on him…LOL…..wasn’t looking for one, but he was really cool about it.

hxiVpc

Using a micro USB to charge these cases is ridiculous. I have docks and car integration cables that rely on the lightning cable. I cant pass audio through micro usb and I’m not running anymore wires – that was fine and dandy 10 years ago.

Also, beware of the mAh ratings. Off brands lie lie lie about this. I have two 5000+mAh external battery pack from two companies. One is a more established brand, the other I got off one of those flash sale sites for a lot less. They’re both rated the same in terms of milliamp hours. The cheap one is good for maybe 1 full charge, the nicer one is good for 1.5 charges. This is a HUGE difference for two products that are supposed to be identical in specs. You always get what you pay for.

Chuck Church

Wouldn’t it be easier to get an extended battery? My fiancee moves from room to room here at home with a charger trying to keep her phone charged. These battery cases seem like a bandaid fix to the normal big-battery solution.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

What do you mean by an extended battery? If it means what I think it means, the iPhone doesn’t support the removal of the internal battery.

Clayton Fitchett

What is your pick for a battery that has button covers?

Nick Stanley

You should have tested the PhoneSuit Elite battery case. That is my favorite pick. The phonesuit case has been the best since iPhone 4 as reported by tons of reviews and the iphone 5 version is even better. Their battery can deliver more power than lenmar, I’ve tried both. The case quality is night and day in comparison. As you mentioned, Lenmar and Unu are identical because they are completely identical! These are just generic cases and that’s why they sell for cheaper. I prefer to wrap my sexy iPhone with a nice sexy designed case.

Unfortunately this case, which I bought only a month ago, is no longer supported with the latest iOS update (7.1.1) – “This accessory is not supported by this device”. I’m curious to see if anyone figures out a workaround or if I’ll have to buy a new case. Which of course I’d rather not do.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Thanks for the note. We’ll look into this.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We did some testing with our Lenmar Meridian and it’s 100% supported in iOS 7.1.1 and we couldn’t find many people running into this issue online either. Our EIC had the following to say regarding this (paraphrased):

“It’s possible there could be dirt/dust in the port which causes Apple’s Lightning DRM to trigger because it can’t read the chip in the Lenmar that authorizes it as a legit Lightning product. It’s been known to happen with Apple’s own Lightning cables if your port isn’t clean.”

Hope this helps!

http://vidFame.com/ Wolfgang Gabler

I already bought a lot of iPhone battery cases. Unfortunately my iPhone battery is getting worse… Lately I found a iPhone battery test app called batteryscore. That showed that my battery is no good anymore…

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Hi Wolfgang. I just did some checking and it says you’re the owner and sole proprietor of the website & application. Please don’t spam our site with your links & apps while pretending to be a concerned consumer trying to help people suffering from poor battery life.

Just a friendly heads up – The current link you replied to this with was flagged by Disqus (not us) as spam, and your IP is close to being associated with a spam linker – which means a ‘Low Rep’ badge and pretty much being blackballed by any site that uses Disqus as a commenting platform. Please rethink your current SEO/Linking/Online Media strategy before it’s too late.

Thanks,

tony

http://vidFame.com/ Wolfgang Gabler

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the advice! I wasn’t aware of that… Nowadays it’s really difficult to get some attention. That’s the reason why so many people are doing postings like this, but I’m sure you know that already…

Best,

Wolfgang

R. Mills

What’s your opinion of the Maxboost Atomic S?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We didn’t test it. Maybe during the next round. Thanks for the suggestion!

blusanders

does the author own a Lenmar Meridian or a Mophie?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Indeed, the Lenmar that came through as the top pick at the end of testing.

Cindy

What about a waterproof extra battery case

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Maybe during our next roundup/review process. Thanks for the input!

blusanders

i just bought a meridian and will be sending it back tomorrow. the battery light does not stop flashing while charging. this is a big omission in a review. it was one of my top complaints with my original mophie which has since been changed. a flashing blue light in the dark might has well be a laser beam in your face. disappointed. an easy return for me.

meridian says they will be changing this in future cases.

sasquatch_steve

turn it over?

blusanders

that made me laugh. you’d think but that’s not really practical if you ever need to look at your phone, change the volume, etc. it’s always on and always extremely bright. it was a big complaint on the mophie and they changed it.

Great article, thank you for taking time and reviewing all of these cases. I am thinking of buying one myself and I saw a Logitech Case+Energy offer at a local store, any thoughts on that particular case?

Thanks and take care

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We didn’t review it. Maybe during the next roundup. Thanks for the feedback!

Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein

Would you recommending buying this battery case or an external battery pack instead?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It depends. The battery case for the phone is made to fit so you can continue using your device on the go. However, an external USB battery pack (like the one we rec here) can charge a multitude of devices more than just once – depending on the circumstances – but you also forfeit some mobility since you’ll have to use a cord & wait for your device to charge.

From personal experience, I use a USB travel battery pack. It gets a bit warm and I don’t like carrying them both in my pocket together while charging (tight fit, heat, possibility of scratching my phone). So it all comes down to whether you need streamlined power to go. Hope this helps!

Jake

Can you charge the case (lenmar) without the phone in it?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Checking on this!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Yes it does. Via one of our researchers- You can charge the case with or without an iPhone inside.

Jake

thank you so much. This simple question seems to never be included on reviews of these cases. Like to use my phone with out the bulk until I need to.

Corien

Wich adapter?/Jack? do I need to fit in my earphones in a power case (the normal jack on a standard earphones set is not long enough to reach the iphone original earphones entrance). (5s).

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Size or length?

http://www.kentwang.com/ Kent Wang

Are you working on an article about iPhone 6 battery cases?

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

We will be, yes.

AlexL

This review was helpful except it doesn’t mention syncing. The Lenmar Meridian doesn’t allow syncing, which cuts it out of the running for me. It’s an annoyance to take the phone out of the case, but almost everyone else supports it so I rather pay a little more so I won’t have to remove the case several times a day. The uNu DX supports syncing, but I decided to go with the third recommendation, the Phonesuit Elite, because of the better build quality.

Yup, I meant to mention that. I prefer wired syncing because it’s faster and I have fewer issues with it. I’m aware that a lot of people only sync wirelessly or don’t sync at all, so the Lenmar Meridian would work just fine with them. I just prefer the speed and reliability to help get through the morning rush to leave the house. I would have appreciated a small mention of it in the text.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

May I ask what you sync that takes up so much time (just curious). The wireless syncing is pretty quick. Not USB quick but I just can’t imagine syncing enough stuff to a phone to where a cable would be ideal vs OTA.

AlexL

Mostly podcasts, it’s not unusual if it goes into a few hundred MB. After that it’s app updates, which can get into the hundreds of some of my larger apps gets a new version.

I just ran a test using my iPhone 5s and my iPad mini 2, with the iPhone on wifi sync and iPad on USB, transferring one podcast and one app update to each, totaling about 100 MB (a small update). It took over a minute with wifi sync, and about 15 seconds with USB. I’m sticking with USB syncing.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

Gotcha. Unfortunately I think that falls under the category of just take it out and sync it if it’s that important. NOT trying to sound smug I promise – just basic logic in my mind says – there’s a way to do this wirelessly that solves the issue, but you don’t like the speeds, not sure what else to say.

When we refresh we can look into models that support passthrough, but we’ll likely be looking at the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus models, not the 5S.

Great reviews, but one big problem. The reviewers believe that mAh == mAh when it comes to battery cases. That is definitely not true. Everything from the quality of the battery cell, to the IC components inside, output amperage, the connectors, quality internal wiring, can effect the charging efficiency. The true test of the battery case performance is actually measuring the amount of charge it can deliver to the iPhone. That’s why I chose the Phonesuit. It may cost more than the lenmar/unu/lifecharge/insert your name here/ brands which are basically all the same case. The Phonesuit elite delivers way more actual power and has lasted me over 8 months without a broken part, scratch or failure. Waiting for the new iPhone 6 version to arrive!

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

It’s coming this week!

Laura

Really comprehensive review. Thanks! I just have a few questions/concerns. I’m going to be thru-hiking the AT and want something so that I can listen to audiobooks and not have to worry about my charge if I have an emergency. However, because of the whole living out of a backpack thing, I need my case/charger to be lightweight, not bulky, and protective:
1) You say it comes with a microphone jack extension. Can I just keep it attached the whole time? How much bulk does that add?
2) Did you test this in wet conditions? How did it hold up?
3) You mentioned that all you have to do to turn the charge on is press a button on the back. Seems cool, but what about “butt charging”? I’m worried that when my phone is smushed against other things in my pack, it’ll turn on all of the time. Do other alternative models you recommend have different on/off mechanisms that would eliminate this concern?
4) Lastly, is there something else you might recommend for a backpacker in need of extra emergency charge? Or is this a good option?
THANKS!

Nick Guy

Hi Laura,

I didn’t write this piece originally, but I did review this case while I was at iLounge, so I should be abel to help you out.

1) Sure, you can leave the extender attached. It’s narrow, and a few inches long. Won’t really add bulk, per se.

Thanks for the response Nick. I bought one to test out. We’ll see how it does! Solar battery packs don’t work on the AT, contrary to what a lot of people may think. They call it the green tunnel because you’re not getting lots of sunlight throught the day. Thanks again.

Dell Griffin

No instructions for charging phone when case is almost full and phone is down to 40-50%.

http://thewirecutter.com/ tony kaye

I don’t understand what you mean?

Dell Griffin

I apologize for being less than clear.

Suppose your Meridian is at or near its’ full charge because you haven’t asked it to replenish the phone that day, and; say the phone itself is only down to say 40-50% at te end of the day.

My question is – Can you charge the phone through the Meridian micro usb cord without damaging either phone or Meridian?

We spent weeks researching more than a dozen subcompact hatchbacks in search of the best ones, and the $19,000 2015 Honda Fit EX is the best for most people. It’s the safest subcompact we found and among the most fuel-efficient. It’s also packed with modern features and seats four people with room to spare. Plus, it can fit cargo that most subcompacts need strapped to the roof.